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Monday, March 31, 2008

(1) Arthritis is one disease that can be cured with honey. One part honey to two parts of lukewarm water and a teaspoon of cinnamon will make a paste that will noticeably reduce pain in a matter of a couple of minutes. Patients suffering from arthritis can take one cup of hot water with two spoons of honey and a teaspoon of cinnamon once in the morning and again in the evening. It’s been said that taken regularly even chronic arthritis can be cured. Copenhagen University tested their theory by giving patients a mixture of one tablespoon of hone and one half teaspoon of cinnamon before breakfast. The results were that within a week, 73 patients out of 200 were relieved of pain and within a month, arthritis patients could again walk without pain.

(2) Cholesterol is said to be treatable with honey. Mix two tablespoons of honey and three tablespoons of cinnamon in 16 ounces of tea. This mixture is said to reduce the level of cholesterol by ten percent within a short amount of time. As with arthritis, it is said that pure honey taken with food daily will reduce cholesterol levels. Along the same lines, using cinnamon and honey on bread and eaten at breakfast revitalized the arteries and veins leading to the heart and helpful towards preventing heart attacks.

Men, pay attention! A mixture of hot olive oil, one tablespoon of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon made into a paste can help (3) baldness and hair loss. Apply the paste before your shower and leave it on for approximately five to fifteen minutes then wash the hair.

In India and Japan honey and cinnamon is said to help (4) relieve gas, stomachaches and clears stomach ulcers at the root. If honey and cinnamon are taken before eating it helps digest even the heaviest of meals.

(5) Colds can be treated with honey. One tablespoon honey with ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon taken daily is said to cure most chronic coughs and clear the sinuses. You can also make up a mixture of honey, whiskey and lemon juice. If it doesn’t clear your cough, at least maybe you’ll sleep.

(6) Pimples, the curse for both young and old can be removed within two weeks if this remedy is applied. Make a paste of three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon. Put the pimples on before going to bed and wash it off the next morning.

Now here’s a big one (7) Weight loss. Twice daily, once at night, and one in the morning ½ hour before breakfast drink a cup of boiled hot water with honey and cinnamon. It’s been said that even the most obese patient can lose weight and drinking this mixture doesn’t allow the fat to accumulate in the body.

Studies have shown that (8) chronic fatigue can be helped by honey. One half tablespoon of honey in a glass of water and sprinkled with cinnamon in the morning and in the afternoon will increase your vitality within a week.

(9) Infertility is a problem that ancient people in the Far East treated with honey. It was said to strengthen the semen of men. Two tablespoons of honey taken before bed is said to also correct impotency. A touch of cinnamon in one half teaspoon of honey and applied to the gums throughout the day will help a woman conceive. Mixing it with the saliva lets it slowly enter the body.

Finally, (10) bad breath is said to be helpful if gargled in the morning. One teaspoon of honey and cinnamon mixed in hot water is supposed to keep breath fresh all day.

Some years ago I took on an assignment in a southern county to work with people on public welfare. What I wanted to do was show that everybody has the capacity to be self-sufficient, and all we have to do is to activate them. I asked the county to pick a group of people who were on public welfare, people from different racial groups and different family constellations. I would then see them as a group for three hours every Friday. I also asked for a little petty cash to work with as I needed it.

The first thing I said after I shook hands with everybody was, "I would like to know what your dreams are." Everyone looked at me as if I were kind of wacky.

"Dreams? We don't have dreams." I said, "Well, when you were a kid what happened? Wasn't there something you wanted to do?"

One woman said to me, "I don't know what you can do with dreams. The rats are eating up my kids."

"Oh," I said.

"That's terrible. No, of course, you are very much involved with the rats and your kids. How can that be helped?"

"Well, I could use a new screen door because there are holes in my screen door."

I asked, "Is there anybody around here who knows how to fix a screen door?"

There was a man in the group, and he said, "A long time ago I used to do things like that, but now I have a terribly bad back, but I'll try."

I told him I had some money if he would go to the store, buy some screening, and go and fix the lady's screen door.

"Do you think you can do that?"

"Yes, I'll try."

The next week, when the group was seated, I said to the woman, "Well is your screen door fixed?"

"Oh, yes," she said. "Then we can start dreaming, can't we?" She sort of smiled at me. I said to the man who did the work,

"How do you feel?"

He said, "Well, you know, it's a very funny thing. I'm beginning to feel a lot better." That helped the group to begin to dream. These seemingly small successes allowed the group to see that dreams were not insane. These small steps began to get people to see and feel that something really could happen.

I began to ask other people about their dreams. One woman shared that she always wanted to be a secretary. I said, "Well, what stands in your way?" (That's always my next question).

She said, "I have six kids, and I don't have anyone to take care of them while I'm away."

"Let's find out," I said.

"Is there anybody in this group who would take care of six kids for a day or two a week while this woman gets some training here at the community college?"

One woman said, "I got kids, too, but I could do that."

"Let's do it," I said. A plan was created and the woman went to school.

Everyone found something. The man who put in the screen door became a handyman. The woman who took in the children became a licensed foster care person. In 12 weeks I had all these people off public welfare. I've not only done that once, I've done it many times.

Breakfast can help prevent strokes, heart attack and sudden death. Advice on not to skip breakfast! For those who always skip breakfast, should stop that habit now! Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.

Because the frequency of heart attack, sudden death, and stroke peaks between 6:00 a.m. and noon, with the highest incidence being between 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.What mechanism within the body could account for this significant jump in sudden death in the early morning hours?

Platelet, tiny elements in the blood that keep us from bleeding to Death if we get a cut, can clump together inside our arteries due to cholesterol or laque buildup in the artery lining. It is in the morning hours that platelets become the most activated and tend to form these internal blood clots at the greatest frequency.

However, eating even a very light breakfast prevents the morning platelet activation that is associated with heart attacks and strokes. Studies performed at Memorial University in St.Johns, Newfoundland found that eating a light, very low-fat breakfast was critical in modifying the morning platelet activation. Subjects in the study consumed either low-fat or fat-free yogurt, orange juice, fruit, and a source of protein coming from yogurt or fat-free milk. So if you skip breakfast, it's important that you change this practice immediately in light of this research. Develop a simple plan to eat cereal, such as oatmeal or Bran Flakes, along with six ounces of grape juice or orange juice, and perhaps a piece of fruit. This simple plan will keep your platelets from sticking together, keep blood clots from forming, and perhaps head off a potential Heart Attack or stroke.

10. French Number of speakers: 129 million Often called the most romantic language in the world, French is spoken in tons of countries, including Belgium, Canada, Rwanda, Cameroon, and Haiti. Oh, and France too. We're actually very lucky that French is so popular, because without it, we might have been stuck with Dutch Toast, Dutch Fries, and Dutch kissing (ew!).To say "hello" in French, say "Bonjour" (bone-JOOR).

9. Malay (Indonesian) Number of speakers: 159 million Malay-Indonesian is spoken - surprise - in Malaysia and Indonesia. Actually, we kinda fudged the numbers on this one because there are many dialects of Malay, the most popular of which is Indonesian. But they're all pretty much based on the same root language, which makes it the ninth most-spoken in the world.Indonesia is a fascinating place; a nation made up of over 13,000 islands it is the sixth most populated country in the world. Malaysia borders on two of the larger parts of Indonesia (including the island of Borneo), and is mostly known for its capital city of Kuala Lumpur.To say "hello" in Indonesian, say "Selamat pagi" (se-LA-maht PA-gee).

8. Portuguese Number of speakers: 191 million Think of Portuguese as the little language that could. In the 12th Century, Portugal won its independence from Spain and expanded all over the world with the help of its famous explorers like Vasco da Gama and Prince Henry the Navigator. (Good thing Henry became a navigator . . . could you imagine if a guy named "Prince Henry the Navigator" became a florist?) Because Portugal got in so early on the exploring game, the language established itself all over the world, especially in Brazil (where it's the national language), Macau, Angola, Venezuela, and Mozambique.To say "hello" in Portuguese, say "Bom dia" (bohn DEE-ah).

7. Bengali Number of speakers: 211 million In Bangladesh, a country of 120+ million people, just about everybody speaks Bengali. And because Bangladesh is virtually surrounded by India (where the population is growing so fast, just breathing the air can get you pregnant), the number of Bengali speakers in the world is much higher than most people would expect.To say "hello" in Bengali, say "Ei Je" (EYE-jay).

6. Arabic Number of speakers: 246 million Arabic, one of the world's oldest languages, is spoken in the Middle East, with speakers found in countries such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and Egypt. Furthermore, because Arabic is the language of the Koran, millions of Moslems in other countries speak Arabic as well. So many people have a working knowledge of Arabic, in fact, that in 1974 it was made the sixth official language of the United Nations.To say "hello" in Arabic, say "Al salaam a'alaykum" (Ahl sah-LAHM ah ah-LAY-koom).

5. Russian Number of speakers: 277 million Mikhail Gorbachev, Boris Yeltsin, and Yakov Smirnoff are among the millions of Russian speakers out there. Sure, we used to think of them as our Commie enemies. Now we think of them as our Commie friends. One of the six languages in the UN, Russian is spoken not only in the Mother Country, but also in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and the U.S. (to name just a few places).To say "hello" in Russian, say "Zdravstvuite" (ZDRAST-vet- yah).

4. Spanish Number of speakers: 392 million Aside from all of those kids who take it in high school, Spanish is spoken in just about every South American and Central American country, not to mention Spain, Cuba, and the U.S. There is a particular interest in Spanish in the U.S., as many English words are borrowed from the language, including: tornado, bonanza, patio, quesadilla, enchilada, and taco grande supreme.To say "hello" in Spanish, say "Hola" (OH-la).

3. Hindustani Number of speakers: 497 million Hindustani is the primary language of India's crowded population, and it encompasses a huge number of dialects (of which the most commonly spoken is Hindi). While many predict that the population of India will soon surpass that of China, the prominence of English in India prevents Hindustani from surpassing the most popular language in the world. If you're interested in learning a little Hindi, there's a very easy way: rent an Indian movie. The film industry in India is the most prolific in the world, making thousands of action/romance/ musicals every year.To say "hello" in Hindustani, say "Namaste" (Nah-MAH-stay).

2. English Number of speakers: 508 million While English doesn't have the most speakers, it is the official language of more countries than any other language. Its speakers hail from all around the world, including the U.S., Australia, England, Zimbabwe, the Caribbean, Hong Kong, South Africa, and Canada. We'd tell you more about English, but you probably feel pretty comfortable with the language already. Let's just move on to the most popular language in the world.To say "hello" in English, say "What's up, freak?" (watz-UP-freek).

1. Mandarin Number of speakers: 1 billion+ Surprise, surprise, the most widely spoken language on the planet is based in the most populated country on the planet, China. Beating second-place English by a 2 to 1 ratio, but don't let that lull you into thinking that Mandarin is easy to learn. Speaking Mandarin can be really tough, because each word can be pronounced in four ways (or "tones"), and a beginner will invariably have trouble distinguishing one tone from another. But if over a billion people could do it, so could you. Try saying hello!To say "hello" in Mandarin, say "Ni hao" (Nee HaOW). ("Hao" is pronounced as one syllable, but the tone requires that you let your voice drop midway, and then raise it again at the end.)

Sunday, March 30, 2008

He: Yes. At last. It was so hard to wait.She: Do you want me to leave?He: No! Don't even think about it.She: Do you love me?He: Of course! Over and over!She: Have you ever cheated on me?He: No! Why are you even asking?She: Will you kiss me?He: Every chance I get.She: Will you hit me?He: Are you crazy! I'm not that kind of person!She: Can I trust you?He: Yes.She: Darling!

ProblemOne of the most memorable case studies on Japanese management was the case of the empty soap box, which happened in one of Japan's biggest cosmetics companies. The company received a complaint that a consumer had bought a soap box that was empty. Immediately the thorities isolated the problem to the assembly line, which transported all the packaged boxes of soap to the delivery department. For some reason, one soap box went through the assembly line empty. Management asked its engineers to solve the problem. Post-haste,

Solution Athe engineers worked hard to devise an X-ray machine with high-resolution monitors manned by two people to watch all the soap boxes that passed through the line to make sure they were not empty. No doubt, they worked hard and they worked fast but they spent whoopee amount to do so

Solution BBut when a rank-and-file employee in a small company was posed with the same problem, he did not get into complications of X-rays, etc but instead came out with another solution. He bought a strong industrial electric fan and pointed it at the assembly line. He switched the fan on, and as each soap box passed the fan, it simply blew the empty boxes out of the line.

" Keep It Short & Simple" !! i.e. always look for simple solutions. Devise the simplest possible solution that solves the problem. So, learn to focus on solutions not on problems

Tuesday, March 25, 2008

OverviewWelcome to the world of audiobooks! An audiobook is a recording of a book being read aloud. There are tens of thousands of audiobooks available in the world, in various languages, covering topics from education to entertainment.

Nokia Audiobooks is a beta concept that enables you to enjoy audiobooks while on the go. It includes a highly efficient audio compression technology optimized for voice (AMR-WB), a player application for S60 (Nokia Audiobook Player), and an audio converter tool for PC (Nokia Audiobook Manager). Whereas traditional music player applications are optimized for music, Nokia Audiobook Player is optimized for audiobooks, enabling you to browse chapters, set bookmarks, and automatically continue from where you stopped listening last time.

A typical 400 page novel translates into 10-20 hour long audiobook, which would traditionally take more than dozen CDs or hundreds of megabytes of low-quality MP3 files. Nokia Audiobooks uses a codec called AMR-WB, which is optimized for voice. With Nokia Audiobooks, you get 5-10 times more content on your phone with similar voice quality - compared to content that has been compressed with MP3 at 64 or 128 kbps. Consequently, you can easily store multiple audiobooks on your memory card - and still have plenty of capacity left for the other things (like pics and video) you find important.

The application fetches you the latest text messages from your connected Nokia device. Naturally, the latest messages are displayed first.

A gadget for Windows Vista, Nokia Text Messenger comes in two different sizes. If you want to place the application in your Windows Sidebar, you can opt for Nokia Text Messenger in a smaller size. The sidebar gadget lets you view three text messages at a time.

If you want Nokia Text Messenger in a slightly larger size, you can have it floating freely on your desktop. In this case, text messages can be browsed in groups of five.

Compatibility and system requirements

Microsoft Windows Vista

Before you download Nokia Text Messenger, make sure that you have Nokia PC Suite version 6.85 or later installed

Monday, March 24, 2008

We'll admit that we're not normally fans of Bluetooth headsets with tiny LED displays. After all, it doesn't seem that convenient to be looking at the display while wearing the headset at the same time.

That said, we were very impressed with the Nokia BH-902 Bluetooth headset, which comes with a nice OLED display that shows details like Recent Calls and Caller ID; plus if you have a compatible Nokia handset, it'll even show if you have any unread text messages.

It's stylish, comfortable, and has decent sound quality to boot. The BH-902 will cost you, though, as it retails for a rather steep $169.99.

The Nokia BH-902 is a very sleek and modern-looking Bluetooth headset, with a rectangular shape, curved corners, and a piano black flat surface. Measuring 0.98 inch wide by 2.08 inches long by 0.47 inch deep, the BH-902 is a little larger than most Bluetooth headsets. There's a good reason for that, though--right on the front of the headset is a 1-inch diagonal OLED display.

The text on the OLED display is a bold white font that's easy to read against the black background. The display can be used for a number of different things like checking out the headset's pairing and connection status, any incoming or missed calls, as well as caller ID.

There's also a battery status indicator, plus a whole menu system that lets you view your recent calls list. Of course, there's also a time stamp. If you have a compatible Nokia phone, such as the Nokia N95, the OLED display will also show a small envelope icon to indicate if you have unread messages.

The volume buttons as well as the answer/end button are on the left spine, while the power key is on the right. Though the buttons are a little on the small side, they are raised enough above the surface so they are easy to find. That said, we did find them a bit stiff when pressed. On the back of the headset is a simple in-ear style earbud as well as a thin and flexible ear loop that can be rotated to fit either ear.

The earbud cover is made of a soft rubberlike material that felt very comfortable when fitted in our ear. Similarly, we really appreciated the thin ear loop, since that meant we could wear the headset with our eyeglasses without much discomfort. The overall fit was secure as well as comfortable. It was also quite easy and quick to wear.

Aside from the cool OLED display, features on the BH-902 are pretty standard. You get the standard answering, ending, and rejecting calls, as well as call mute, last-number redial, and voice-dial support.

Other features include call hold support, the ability to switch connections between different paired devices, and the ability to transfer calls from the headset to the phone and vice versa. The BH-902 comes with a carrying clip, which you can attach to your belt or shirt. This makes it easier to view the OLED display on the BH-902 before you answer it, if you so choose.

We paired the Nokia BH-902 with the RIM BlackBerry Pearl. The process was really easy, thanks to the onscreen instructions on the headset itself.

Call quality was surprisingly good. There was a bit of static here and there, but nothing too disruptive. Callers reported a clear natural-sounding voice as well. That said, the headset didn't perform too well in especially noisy environments, like a crowded restaurant.

If your mobile Web browsing experience leaves something to be desired, you're not alone. Unless you own an Apple iPhone, which many experts say offers more user-friendly Internet capability, small screens coupled with tiny keyboards can make Web surfing frustrating.

But if you have a laptop and a phone, you may be able to use them together to the best advantage, says Chris Silva, analyst for Forrester Research, a technology and market research firm.

Tethering -- or plugging in -- your laptop to your mobile device will allow your computer to use the phone's connection for the Internet.

It's a tool that often gets overlooked, Silva says, but it can connect you at speeds comparable to a DSL or cable modem line.

In the absence of a laptop you can enhance the Web experience on the phone itself by disabling style sheets or java script. The operations are processor intensive, Silva says, making them difficult for a cell phone to handle.

Give your thumbs a break

Need to send an e-mail or text message but your hands are tied? Voice recognition technology has made advancements that can take the burden off your text-weary thumbs.

Jott, a free service and a favorite of Rick Broida, author of "How to Do Everything With Your Palm Handheld," transcribes voice messages up to 30 seconds long and delivers those message via text message or e-mail to anyone in your Jott address book.

For example, Broida says, you can e-mail a co-worker or your entire sales team, all while your hands are on the wheel of your car.

You can also dictate a reminder that Jott will send you in an e-mail and text message, or use in conjuction with other Web services, such as Google Calendar or Blogger.

Services such as SimulScribe and the U.K.-based SpinVox will save you the trouble of listening to your voice mail by transcribing the voice messages and sending them to you in text form.

Similarly, voice recognition software on your smart phone lets you speak into the phone and have that message show up on a computer it's synced with, says Sean Ryan, analyst for market research firm IDC.

Put your camera to use

Whether you're tired of taking notes or your pen runs dry during a business meeting, your phone could come to your rescue.

In addition to using its camera for personal photos, you can take snapshots of notes, whiteboards and documents.

Broida recommends services including Qipit or Scanr, which allow you to convert those pictures to a clearer PDF form. You can save the images online or deliver them as e-mails or faxes.

Save cash overseas

Wondering if you need to get a new phone for an overseas trip? It's not necessary if you're an AT&T or T-Mobile subscriber, says Ryan. Those services use the GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) standard, while carriers such as Verizon Wireless and Sprint use the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) standard.

GSM phones -- but not CDMA phones -- use SIM cards, which carry your user information. Rather than renting an entirely new phone abroad, you can rent a SIM card and stick that into your existing phone, Ryan says. But he warns that you will need a new card for every country you visit because roaming agreements vary. And with each new card, you'll get a different phone number.

Without GSM, you would need a world phone to keep your existing phone and number while you're abroad. The world phone can roam on both the GSM and CDMA networks, allowing CDMA carriers to work around the technology's limitations, Ryan says.

You're charged by the kilobit when you're roaming, so receiving a slew of e-mails or a stream of information from the Internet can rack up a hefty charge, he says.

Lose your phone? Don't despair

Losing your phone on the road doesn't necessarily mean all the information in it is gone -- or even insecure.

For those with a smart phone that's synced to a corporate e-mail account, an information technology administrator has the ability to remotely wipe the lost phone clean of data and lock it, Ryan says.

He also suggests protecting your smart phone with a password. While you will be able to answer voice calls, your device will be otherwise unusable without a code if it's been idle for a certain amount of time.

To make it easier to retrieve your phone, Broida suggests using a lost-and-found service.

With services such as Stuffbak and TrackItBack, you tag your phone with the company's sticker and then register it. If someone finds it, the sticker will direct that person to the Web site and phone number. The service will do its best to reunite you with your lost phone.

Intel's computer, which could cost as little as £250, will join a string of cheap laptops on sale in the US and Europe

Intel, the world's largest chip-maker, has said it will let Western consumers buy a low-cost laptop originally designed for poor children in the developing world.

The US technology giant said it would team up with PC makers to release a new version of its Classmate PC, which sells in developing countries for $285 (£144), in the US and Europe - possibly by Christmas.

The company did not say how much the device will cost, but analysts suggested that it could go on sale for as little as $500 (£252), and would bring new momentum to the shift towards low-cost computing at a time when consumers will be watchful about spending.

Intel's new laptop, which has been trialled at schools in Texas, Oregon, and California, will join a string of low-cost computers to have entered Western markets in the past year. Asus's Eee PC, which retails for £215 in the UK, has been popular since going on sale at the end of last year, while Elonex, a British firm, last month unveiled a new cheap laptop called the One, which will cost just £99.

The One Laptop Per Child (OLPC) project, which originally hoped its computers would cost $100 but now sells them for $188 (£95), also recently announced a 'Give one, get one' scheme in the US, where customers buy two computers for £200, one of which is donated to a recipient to the developing world.

The average cost paid for a laptop in the UK last year was £477, according to the retail analyst GfK.

Intel is already selling its original Classmate PC in India, Mexico, and Indonesia, and while fewer than 100,000 have been shifted so far, the company said it plans to ramp up production in 2008.

The main reason such machines are so cheap is that they run on open-source software such as Linux, meaning manufacturers don't have to pay licence fees to companies such as Microsoft. They also typically have smaller screens, run on older chips, and dispense with certain features, such as CD drives.

Manufacturers tend to focus on features deemed most useful at schools in poor countries, such as simple word-processing and web-browsing software, and, in the case of OLPC's 'XO' machine, a wind-up crank which generates power and a screen which can be seen in bright sunlight.

Intel's new Classmate design would give manufacturers the flexibility to build a range of laptops with different memory and screen sizes, and peripheral devices such as cameras, the general manager of the company's emerging markets platform group said.

Tuesday, March 18, 2008

March 11, 2008 -- One of the longest-running mysteries in the U.S. National Parks has been solved: The crater-like Upheaval Dome in Utah's Canyonlands National Park was caused by a meteor impact, say German researchers.

For decades geologists have debated whether the picturesque "Sphinx of Geology," viewed by millions of park visitors, was created by a volcanic outburst, an eruption of salt or a meteor impact. Then a crucial clue was discovered: "shocked quartz," which can be created only by the intense pressures of a violent meteor impact.

"This is great news because finally, after so many years of searching, the final clue that Upheaval Dome is an impact structure has been discovered," said impact crater researcher Christian Koeberl of the University of Vienna in Austria. "Their data are convincing."

The discovery was made by German researchers Elmar Buchner and Thomas Kenkmann, who published their findings in the March issue of the journal Geology. Surprisingly, the shocked grains of quartz were located not at the center of the crater, but off to one side, suggesting that the meteor struck the Earth at an angle.

"Discovery of shock metamorphic features...is a requirement to 'nail' the impact origin of a feature, and they have done it," Koeberl told Discovery News.

In the 1930s, Upheaval Dome was interpreted as a volcanic feature by one geologist. Thirty years later, in the 1960s, another geologist proposed that it was the result of ancient sea salts buried under the rock. The salt, less dense than rock, rises up in the ground -- like a drop of oil rising up through water -- and buoys up the rock into a dome.

The meteor impact idea wasn't officially taken up by any researchers until the 1980s, and remained inconclusive until now.

"The very controversial debate about Upheaval Dome's origin has lasted nearly a century, over the course of which extremely different hypotheses (gradualism versus catastrophism) have been proposed," report Buchner and Kenkmann.

The debate has, in fact, reflected a historical divide of ideas in geology over those decades.

On one hand there were the "gradualists" who adhered to the idea that just about everything we see on the planet today is the result of gradual processes still at work -- glaciers moving, rains falling, rivers flowing, etc. Gradualism was considered heretical when it was proposed by James Hutton in the late 18th century because it implies the Earth was tremendously older than some Biblical scholars had claimed.

These Biblical scholars cited such catastrophes as Noah's flood to explain such geological oddities as marine fossils atop mountains. These early "catastrophists" tended to ignore evidence that went against their Biblical interpretation of the geological record. In other words, they weren't very scientific.

As a result, geologists are trained to tread very carefully wherever extraordinary events are being called on to explain geological features. The trouble is, of course, there are some things like Upheaval Dome, which are, as we now know, genuine creations of extraordinary -- albeit non-Biblical -- catastrophic events.

A big jump in PlayStation 3 sales has been forecast for this year, based on Blu-ray emergence as the dominant format in the high-definition war. If you are after a new player, the PS3 a relatively cheap option, given that it's also a powerful games machine.

This argument raises the question of whether the HD battle was really about disc formats. Personally, I don't own a high-definition TV and I am currently perfectly happy with DVD quality films. By the time I decide to upgrade my TV set, probably in the next year or two, I'm not sure that I'll be looking for a new type of disc to replace my DVDs. What I'll probably want is HD downloads. I already convert a lot of my kids' DVDs to .avi format so that when we go on holiday I can take my laptop and hook it up to a hotel TV, saving the hassle of carrying around a load of discs that won't work in DVD players in other contries.

In the same way that Real, Windows Media Player and Quicktime were all were busy fighting over online video formats while the now-ubiquitous Flash player crept up behind them, Blu-ray may well end up being a format that gets killed off by downloads before it takes hold.

The real boost to the Playstation 3 is more likely to come from the upcoming release of the much-anticipated exclusive, Metal Gear Solid 4, but with other top titles such as Mario Kart and Grand Theft Auto coming out on the other consoles, Sony won't have it all their own way. As for me, I have my Xbox 360 and Nintendo Wii so I don't see the need for a Playstation 3.

The next generation of web technology is likely to be far more powerful than the current crop, Tim Berners-Lee said

Google may eventually be displaced as the pre-eminent brand on the internet by a company that harnesses the power of next-generation web technology, the inventor of the World Wide Web has said.The search giant had developed an extremely effective way of searching for pages on the internet, Tim Berners-Lee said, but that ability paled in comparison to what could be achieved on the "web of the future", which he said would allow any piece of information — such as a photo or a bank statement — to be linked to any other.

Mr Berners-Lee said that in the same way, the "current craze" for social networking sites like Facebook and MySpace would eventually be superseded by networks that connected all types of things — not just people — thanks to a ground-breaking technology known as the "semantic web".

The semantic web is the term used by the computer and internet industry to describe the next phase of the web's development, and essentially involves building web-based connectivity into any piece of data — not just a web page — so that it can "communicate" with other information.

Whereas the existing web is a collection of pages with links between them that Google and other search engines help the user to navigate, the "semantic web" will enable direct connectivity between much more low-level pieces of information — a written street address and a map, for instance — which in turn will give rise to new services.

"Using the semantic web, you can build applications that are much more powerful than anything on the regular web," Mr Berners-Lee said. "Imagine if two completely separate things — your bank statements and your calendar — spoke the same language and could share information with one another. You could drag one on top of the other and a whole bunch of dots would appear showing you when you spent your money.

"If you still weren't sure of where you were when you made a particular transaction, you could then drag your photo album on top of the calendar, and be reminded that you used your credit card at the same time you were taking pictures of your kids at a theme park. So you wouldd know not to claim it as a tax deduction.

"It's about creating a seamless web of all the data in your life."

One example frequently given is of typing a street address which, if it had "semantic data" built into it, would link directly to a map showing its location, dispensing with the need to go to a site like Google `maps, type in the address, get the link and paste it into a document or e-mail.

The challenge, experts say, is in finding a way to represent all data so that when it is connected to the web, links to other relevant information can be recognised and established — a bit like the process known as "tagging". One expected application is in the pharmaceutical industry, where previously unconnected pieces of research into a drug or disease, say, could be brought together and assimilated.

Mr Berners-Lee, who invented the World Wide Web in 1989 while a fellow at CERN, the European Organsation for Nuclear Research in Switzerland, would not be drawn on the type of application that the "Google of the future" would develop, but said it would likely be a type of "mega-mash-up", where information is taken from one place and made useful in another context using the web.

Existing "mash-ups", such as progams that plotted the location of every Starbucks in a city using Google maps, were a start, he said in an interview with Times Online, but they were limited because a separate application had to be built each time a new service was imagined.

"In the semantic web, it's like every piece of data is given a longitude and latitute on a map, and anyone can 'mash' them together and use them for different things."

Mr Berners-Lee, who is now a director of the Web Science Research Initiative, a collaborative project between the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Southampton, sought to put into context the rapid growth of social networking sites in recent years, saying that once the semantic web was rolled out they would be thought of as one of many types of network available.

"At the moment, people are very excited about all these connections being made between people — for obvious reasons, because people are important — but I think after a while people will realise that there are many other things you can connect to via the web."

He also spoke about what he described as one of the key challenges of the web today — confronting the security risks associated with large databases of information that were attractive to criminals and identity fraudsters.

"There are definitely better ways of managing that threat. I think we're soon going to see a new tipping point where different types of crimes become possible and lucrative, and it's something we constantly have to be aware of.

"One option is to build systems which more effectively track what information you've used to perform a particular task, and make sure people aren't using their authority to do things that they shouldn't be doing."

“Speed up to the energy zone. You have completed half your workout.” This is not my personal trainer – this is my mobile phone.

When I say mobile phone, I don’t mean the voice of a friend calling me up to jeer at my misery. This is my actual phone.

Part of me finds it hard to take seriously but I am jogging along the South Bank in London on a crisp, sunny Sunday afternoon, out of breath and red in the face, being barked at to speed up by my phone. This is miCoach, the phone that wants to make me fit. Or, as I now think of it, the phone that wants to humiliate me.

In the race to think of the next must-have accessory for your mobile, Samsung and adidas have added a virtual personal trainer to the usual list of MP3 player, games and camera.

Billed as a “total coaching system”, it monitors your heart rate, keeps track of how far you are running and how many calories you burn while you pound the streets. To add insult to injury it also quips “motivational” comments on your progress in a gratingly cheerful American accent. “Warm it up. OK, let’s go.”

For someone of my deep level of unfitness, miCoach is not a gadget I ever thought I’d hold in my hand, let alone strap on my arm and take running.

But as I fix the heart monitor around the top of my ribcage, strap the mobile holder to my upper arm and slip the “foot pod” pedometer on my running shoes and select a suitably upbeat music track, it could be just what I need to launch my new fitness regime.

But first the phone needs to assess my fitness. This involves running “as fast as you can” for a mile. I can’t run very fast. Then I have to walk for a minute. The time it takes my wildly beating heart to return to normal reveals my fitness.

Being naturally quite slim, I can usually get away with hiding the true level of my unfitness. But I can’t hide from this machine. I finish the run and it gives its verdict: “Beginner.” However, I’m reassured. At least my phone sees me for who I am rather than sets me impossible goals.

The next step is to log on to the website. Here I find more than 200 programs, but it hasn’t factored in the possibility of someone who has never run before.

With the knowledge of my age and weight, it will set me a personal training plan, depending on the goals I want to achieve. After each run I download the results and it can assess my progress. I opt for the first option – the rather humiliating “learn to run”. It sets me 56 workouts. I really am bad.

But I’m ready to go. My first session involves a mixture of running and walking. Despite my first impression that the whole idea is nothing more than gimmickry, I’m beginning to think there might be something in it. Let’s face it, most of us can’t afford a real personal trainer but we still need a plan to work to. And this could be the next best thing.

Sunday, March 16, 2008

For Symbian user, after you download the application and the database from the right page of my blog, you have to install the application and then you have to update the database files from the application, please make sure that you have copy the database to your mobile phone.

For java user you just have to download and install to use the program.

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

In order to configure TCP/IP settings such as the IP address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, DNS and WINS addresses and many other options you can use Netsh.exe.Netsh.exe is a command-line scripting utility that allows you to, either locally or remotely, display or modify the network configuration of a computer that is currently running. Netsh.exe also provides a scripting feature that allows you to run a group of commands in batch mode against a specified computer. Netsh.exe can also save a configuration script in a text file for archival purposes or to help you configure other servers.

Netsh.exe is available on Windows 2000, Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

You can use the Netsh.exe tool to perform the following tasks:

Configure interfaces

Configure routing protocols

Configure filters

Configure routes

Configure remote access behavior for Windows-based remote access routers that are running the Routing and Remote Access Server (RRAS) Service

Display the configuration of a currently running router on any computer

Use the scripting feature to run a collection of commands in batch mode against a specified router.

What can we do with Netsh.exe?

With Netsh.exe you can easily view your TCP/IP settings. Type the following command in a Command Prompt window (CMD.EXE):netsh interface ip show config

With Netsh.exe, you can easily configure your computer's IP address and other TCP/IP related settings. For example:

The following command configures the interface named Local Area Connection with the static IP address 192.168.0.100, the subnet mask of 255.255.255.0, and a default gateway of 192.168.0.1:netsh interface ip set address name="Local Area Connection" static 192.168.0.100 255.255.255.0 192.168.0.1 1

(The above line is one long line, copy paste it as one line)

Netsh.exe can be also useful in certain scenarios such as when you have a portable computer that needs to be relocated between 2 or more office locations, while still maintaining a specific and static IP address configuration. With Netsh.exe, you can easily save and restore the appropriate network configuration.

Monday, March 10, 2008

She jumped up as soon as she saw the surgeon come out of the operating room.She said: "How is my little boy? Is he going to be all right? When can I see him?"

The surgeon said, "I'm sorry. We did all we could, but your boy didn't make it."Sally said, "Why do little children get cancer? Doesn't God care any more? Where were you, God, when my son needed you?"

The surgeon asked, "Would you like some time alone with your son?One of the nurses will be out in a few minutes, before he's transported to the university."

Sally asked the nurse to stay with her while she said good bye to her son. She ran her fingers lovingly through his thick red curly hair."Would you like a lock of his hair?" the nurse asked. Sally nodded yes. The nurse cut a lock of the boy's hair, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Sally.

The mother said, "It was Jimmy's idea to donate his body to the University for Study. He said it might help somebody else."I said no at first, but Jimmy said, 'Mom, I won't be using it after I die. Maybe it will help some other little boy spend one more day with his Mom."

She went on, "My Jimmy had a heart of gold. Always thinking of someone else. Always wanting to help others if he could."Sally walked out of Children's Mercy Hospital for the last time, after spending most of the last six months there.

She put the bag with Jimmy's belongings on the seat beside her in the car. The drive home was difficult. It was even harder to enter the empty house.She carried Jimmy's belongings, and the plastic bag with the lock of his hair to her son's room.

She started placing the model cars and other personal things back in his room exactly where he had always kept them.She laid down across his bed and, hugging his pillow, cried herself to sleep.It was around midnight when Sally awoke. Laying beside her on the bed was a folded letter.

The letter said:

Dear Mom,

I know you're going to miss me; but don't think that I will ever forget you, or stop loving you, just 'cause I'm not around to say "I Love You".

I will always love you, Mom, even more with each day. Someday we will see each other again. Until then, if you want to adopt a little boy so you won't be so lonely, that's okay with me. He can have my room and old stuff to play with.

But, if you decide to get a girl instead, she probably wouldn't like the same things us boys do. You'll have to buy her dolls and stuff girls like, you know. Don't be sad thinking about me. This really is a great place. Grandma and Grandpa met me as soon as I go there and showed me around some, but it will take a long time to see everything.

The angels are so cool. I love to watch them fly. And, you know what? Jesus doesn't look like any of his pictures. Yet, when I saw Him, I knew it was Him. Jesus himself took me to see GOD! And guess what, Mom? I got to sit on God's knee and talk to Him, like I was somebody important.

That's when I told Him that I wanted to write you a letter, to tell you good bye and everything. But I already knew that wasn't allowed. Well, you know what Mom? God handed me some paper and His own personal pen to write you this letter. I think Gabriel is the name of the angel who is going to drop this letter off to you. God said for me to give you the answer to one of the questions you asked Him 'Where was He when I needed him?'

"God said He was in the same place with me, as when His son Jesus was on the cross. He was right there, as He always is with all His children. Oh, by the way, Mom, no one else can see what I've written except you. To everyone else this is just a blank piece of paper. Isn't that cool? I have to give God His pen back now.

He needs it to write some more names in the Book of Life. Tonight I get to sit at the table with Jesus for supper. I'm sure the food will be great.

Oh, I almost forgot to tell you. I don't hurt anymore. The cancer is all gone. I'm glad because I couldn't stand that pain anymore and God couldn't stand to see me hurt so much, either. That's when He sent The Angel of Mercy to come get me. The Angel said I was a Special Delivery!

You can now download the source code for this tool with instructions for recompilation on a desktop-host machine running Microsoft Visual C++ (or another Windows development environment). This source code is being released in response to requests to publicise the file format of .sis files, so that Symbian OS developers can write their own tools to read, modify and/or create .sis files. Through the source release of MakeSIS this now becomes possible. Likewise recompilation of the MakeSIS tool itself for developer platforms other than Microsoft Windows is an option for the first time.

This release of the tool is not able to handle certificates and therefore sign the .sis files produced.

Monday, March 3, 2008

Even before the first tip, you simply must get out a notebook, journal, piece of paper, napkin...SOMETHING to write on to save your discoveries! These tips will only help if you pursue them, so please either take a moment to find writing tools NOW or print this out and promise yourself to complete this exercise later. It may take you some thinking time to get it done......and now....here are your tips.....

1. Find Your Joy Factor Look at the whole of your life history. When did you experience the most sustained period of Joy? What were you doing then? Where were you? Who were you with? How did it feel?

2. What Are Your 3 Most Favorite things to do? If you had a free day with NO commitments, where would you be found? What would you be doing with whom?

3. In what area do you excel? (NO MODESTY ALLOWED HERE!)Truly, what are you complimented on a lot? This could be ANYTHING.

4. What do you most want to be remembered for? If you were designing your epitaph, what would you want it to say? (NOT what your Mom wants, or your SPOUSE wants or your third cousin twice removed, but what do YOU want your headstone to say?)

5. If you had a magic wand, what would you change about your life TODAY? How would it look compared to how it looks now? Which aspects of your life ARE changeable, both short term and long term?

6. How does your Joy factor overlap with your favorite things and the areas in which you excel? Do the areas in which you excel bring YOU joy, or are they really for someone else.....do you see which are obvious matches, and which do not fit? Those that overlap, that bring YOU the most Joy, are most likely the things that would bring you into Passionate Living.

7. What is the first even teeny tiny step you can take to living out your Passion as you have defined in #6? Take some time to really think this one through... concentrate and focus, and then you will be able to start the next step...BUILDING YOUR ROADMAP.